BTA tackles MILG, BAGO and BYC 2023 proposed budget
COTABATO CITY The budget deliberation at the committee level is in full swing as the Finance, Budget, and Management Committee of the Bangsamoro Parliament continues to review and scrutinize each budget proposal of the ministries, agencies, and offices of the Bangsamoro government.
On the 13th day of the budget hearing, Deputy Speaker Atty. Paisalin Tago and Deputy Floor Leader Atty. Anna Tarhata Basman, the newly designated Attorney General, defended the P55.7 million budget of the Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office (BAGO) for 2024.
Tago, subcommittee K chair, moved to add over P2 million to the BAGO’s budget.
According to him, half of the increase will be used to extend legal services to the vulnerable Bangsamoros outside BARMM, specifically those in the Davao region, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Lanao del Norte.
Meanwhile, an 11.25% increase from the Ministry of Interior and Local Government’s (MILG) 2023 budget is currently being discussed by members of CFBM.
The P2.279 billion budget will support the ministry’s role in ensuring public safety and disaster preparedness, local autonomy, decentralization, and community empowerment.
With the enactment of the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code, MILG will play a crucial role in bringing the constituent local government units in the region closer to achieving genuine local autonomy and self-governance.
The Committee has also approved the Bangsamoro Youth Commission’s P97.6 million budget after a thorough review of its proposal. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)